Laboratory/University/Government Agency Partners: ANL, LBNL,ORNL, NIST, and Univ. Of Illinois

Industrial Partners: Gatan, Inc., R. J. Lee, EMiSPEC Systems, Inc, Philips Electronic Instruments, Hitachi Scientific Instruments, and Japan Electron Optics Laboratories-USA

Amount of Award: $10,890,000 (3 years) (includes matching funds from non-government sources) [$6,390,000 from ER, $900,000 from EE, $1,050,000 from NIST NAMT program, $1,800,000 from US industrial partners (Gatan, Inc., R. J. Lee, EMiSPEC Systems, Inc.) in-kind contributions and $750,000 from Multinational industrial partners (Philips Electonic Instruments, Hitachi Scientific Instruments, and Japan Electron Optics Laboratories-USA) in-kind contributions]

Science Area: Microstructure of technologically advanced materials with a focus on interface characterization enabled for a wider user community by the introduction of a new level of electronic collaboration.

DOE/ER Programs: CTR-MICS, BES-Materials Sciences, EE

Number of Researchers: 14

Potential for New Knowledge: Develop a common technology basis for accessing instrumentation at Materials User Facilities from off-site locations. That is, extend, improve and mold the electronic laboratory environments at each of the centers into a single cohesive virtual laboratory, accessible from anywhere on the Internet. Provide the capability to expand interactions in the user community addressing materials sciences research problems related to interfaces and surfaces in economically important materials of interest to DOE programs. Perform materials science research by the application of characterization techniques in a new way that would not have been possible without collaborative technology; that is, introduce a truly new paradigm in scientific research.

An example of how this collaboratory could be used is to apply three of the on-line facilities as an integrated resource to address the problem of understanding the mechanisms of catalyst poisoning and de-activation. Such experiments involving the unique microcharacterization facilities could be followed in real-time by the participating scientists and users and the results analyzed and assimilated into understanding in a much shorter time frame than would have been possible otherwise.